Melissa Gilbert as Ma Ingalls

Little House on the Prairie: The Musical starring Melissa Gilbert has been breaking records across America and continues to tour the country through June 2010. SheKnows has been given an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what very well be Broadway's next big hit.

Gilbert came to fame in the '70s for portraying Laura Ingalls, the true-life writer of an entire collection of Little House on the Prairie with which an entire nation fell in love.

Now, Gilbert has come full circle in the Little House
universe. On October 13, 2009, Gilbert and her cast took to the stage in St Paul, Minnesota with Gilbert now in the role of Ma, Caroline Ma Ingalls.

Little House on the Prairie: The Musical is directed by Francesca Zambello, whose credits include the joyous Disney's The Little Mermaid. When Little House on the Prairie
left its Minnesota (notably where the books take place) record-breaking debut, the show headed to New Jersey for 23 sold-out performances playing to more than 45,000 people.

The world-premiere production features music by Academy Award-winner Rachel Portman (Gwyneth Paltrow'sEmma), lyrics by Donna
di Novelli as well as a book by Tony Award-winner Rachel Sheinkin (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee).

During its world premiere production in August 2008 at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Little House On The Prairie: The Musical shattered all box-office records (more than $1.9
million) and sold-out for 12 consecutive weeks.